A child is raped in South Africa every 3 minutes. This fund, set up by the makers of the film, The Lost Girls of South Africa, aims to highlight this issue and provide viewers an opportunity to directly help the girls in the film, and to find out more about organisations that are active in this area in South Africa. If you would like to talk to other viewers, and brainstorm other ways of helping the girls, then please visit our Facebook Group.
The Lost Girls of South Africa is a timely and revealing feature length documentary that offers a privileged glimpse into what life is really like for young girls growing up in South Africa. It follows the stories of four girls, aged 11-13, who become victims of child rape, looking at the experience and its aftermath through their eyes and in their words.
December 2013 update
Nozuko
Is in Grade 9 and continues to do well in school, and achieved 4 A’s and 2 B’s in her end of year report for 2013. She excels in English, Life Orientation, and Maths. She would like to be a Lawyer when she completes her education.
Her father is working, but still awaiting a trial date. Nozuko’s family, comprising of her parents and granny, are very supportive of her.
Fuzeka and her younger sister Nwabisa
After their mother’s death, they experienced a somewhat turbulent time, but are now happily living with two maternal aunts who are loving and stable. Their new home is very clean and well-decorated. She feels that she has received enough counseling to deal with her mother’s death.
Fuzeka will be 16 years old in 2014 and is in Grade 9 at school. She passed all her exam subjects, her favourites being English and Life Orientation. She likes reading and cooking, her favourite food is pasta. She wants to be a doctor when she grows up. She has a best friend who attends a different school.
Nwabisa will be 11 years old in 2014. She will be in Grade 6. At the end of 2013, she passed all her subjects, her favourite being mathematics . She likes doing gym exercises, going to church, and watching TV. She was a best friend who is at the same school. When she grows up she wants to be a social worker.
Both girls like going to the beach.
Gretchen
Gretchen finished grade 10 which is a year before Matric. Her school did not offer Matric so they sent her on a business course which she hopes to get a certificate for. Gretchen and her parents still want her to do Matric and are trying to arrange that at her old school. Gretchen is fast becoming a young lady.
She likes watching TV and reading and she believes that she will do well in life. Her mother was extremely grateful for our donation of uniforms and clothes for Gretchen, especially as her job as a carer came to an end when her employer died she told us that Gretchen “is still the same good girl”. Gretchen’s father is reformed and has become very active in the church.
However the family life is uneasy as Gretchen’s oldest brother's son who was in prison when we were filming, has returned home and is still taking drugs and stealing.
Ntombi
Sadly, Ntombi is not doing well. She does not attend school regularly and, according to her mother, has fallen into “a bad crowd”. As her mother is not at home as much in the past, and is attending a Government Leadership course, she cannot monitor Ntombi’s movements closely.
Ntombi was severely affected by her photograph being used in a leaflet for contraception by BAYER which was distributed in schools throughout the northern districts of Port Elizabeth, and her then school. She was ridiculed by her peers. Her photographed was plagiarized from our website by the company which drafted the leaflet for BAYER. When we were alerted to this, we immediately contacted BAYER for an explanation and recompense. Although one of their representatives accompanied our South African Producer to visit Ntombi, and promised to arrange counseling for her, they failed to secure this. We are continuing to pursue BAYER to uphold their promise.
In the meantime, we are endeavouring to arrange counseling for Ntombi from the same Psychologist and Counsellor who met the other girls in the film.
We need ongoing donations to be able to continue supporting the girls. If you would like to make a one-off donation or set up a regular standing order, please follow the ‘donate’ link on this page. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.
